


Feel You Aching

by Elpie (Horribibble)



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blood, M/M, Major Character Injury, Soulmate Healing Powers, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 06:20:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7833655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Horribibble/pseuds/Elpie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No matter how grievous the injury, the presence of your soulmate can heal you.<br/>In theory, it's beautiful. In reality, it tastes like iron and salt.<br/>-<br/>Cullen Rutherford never expected to <em>know</em> if he'd met his soulmate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feel You Aching

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was: _being next to your soulmate can heal you from things people don’t normally heal from_
> 
> -
> 
> Please feel free to join us over at the Assquisition Discord! <3

There is no such thing as a ‘sweet’ soulmate story. Most of the ones you’ll hear are from EMTs and other first responders, the ones who know better than to spend their lives puzzling out if they should _really_ be grateful for the horrible things they’ve seen on the job.

No one wants to meet their other half while they’re actually _in half_ , desperately trying to hold themselves together.

A sudden flare of warmth and _you’re for me. And that piece over there. And that one up there._

It’s horrifying.

You know they’re yours if they survive.

Cullen never expected to _know_ if he’d ever found his soulmate.

He’s a _baker_ , for fuck’s sake.

He doesn’t even know what to **_do_** when he totes a bag of trash out to the dumpster and finds a man _bleeding out_ in the alley behind the shop.

-

Cullen only expected to be outside for a moment or two, so he hadn’t bothered with a jacket or umbrella. Now, the rain soaks through his shirt, gluing the fabric to his skin and his hair to his forehead.

 _“Shit_.” He says, but it barely registers over the roaring in his ears.

The man’s breathing stutters, and he glances over at Cullen as if the movement takes real, concentrated effort. “Oh,” He says. “You’ve found me in...in a bit of a state.”

“Don’t talk.” Cullen nearly chokes as he drops to his knees, one hand going to support the man’s head as he takes in the damage.

It’s hard to see at first. The man is dressed in an expensive-looking button up, rumpled from the fall. Judging by the lingering trail of blood, he’d tried to drag himself to find help, but failed miserably. The fabric is bunched up a bit at one spot, where the blood seems to bloom outward. His fingertips are dyed with the stuff.

A gunshot, maybe. Or a stab wound. Either way, a wound like this to the stomach is a slow and painful death. They’d felt certain enough of their work to walk away and leave him for someone else to find.

“Rude,” The man says. “You’ll find there’s not much else I _can_ do in this state, unless you’d rather I get sick on your jeans.” His throat works as if he may well decide to do both.

Grey eyes lock on Cullen’s, and suddenly he remembers that it’s _freezing_ out here.

“Please don’t die.” He says. “I’ll call an ambulance. You’ll be all right.” He goes to stand back up and make good on his promise, but the man grabs his hand with a surprisingly tight grip.

“ ** _Don’t_.”** He gasps. “Please.”

“I have to get help.”

“There’s not much the doctors can do for me now. I’d rather spend my last moments with a handsome man than getting prodded at by EMTs.”

“That’s not funny.”

“I’m not laughing.” The man smiles, but there’s red on his teeth. “Would hurt too much, I’m afraid.”

“What if I don’t want to watch you die?”

“You won’t. You’re too kind.” The smile softens, teeth hidden by full lips. His moustache is drooping in the rain, curling down with the water as his eyeliner smears and runs.

Cullen thinks he’s beautiful.

“Fuck. All right.” He takes the man’s hand and laces their fingers together. “My name’s Cullen. What’s yours?”

“Dorian. Pavus. Well, formerly Pavus. I do believe I’ve been thoroughly disowned.” He flicks his eyes down as if indicating the damage as Exhibit A. “You’ll remember that, won’t you? For the police.”

“I’ll remember.”

“It’s a shame, you know? I was really starting to get used to living in the south. All the dogs and the damnable cold.”

“It’s nicer in the spring.” Cullen says with a shrug.

That gets him a little chuckle. “Ow.”

“Can I...I mean, I’ll probably regret this. Can I take a look?”

“I could never fault a man for morbid curiosity. Go on.”

Cullen goes to take back his hand, but Dorian holds tight. It leaves him to reach under the grip rather awkwardly and gingerly peel away the fabric of his shirt.

He expected...something _worse_ , somehow. Spurting blood, perhaps. A peek of the man’s insides. He honestly doesn’t know _what_ he wanted to look for, but there before his eyes, it’s…

The hole is getting _smaller._

_Oh._

Cullen clears his throat. “That’s, uh...good luck, then.”

Dorian looks at him as if he’s lost his fuzzy southern mind. “Beg pardon?”

Cullen shifts his grip on Dorian’s hand, squeezing his fingers against the bones of the other man’s palm. He’s going to hold on, if this is what’s meant for him. “I’ll tell you in a bit,” He says. “When laughing won’t hurt.”

“Oh?” Dorian’s eyes seem to spark with something new, something _bright_ , and he struggles to move his head into Cullen’s lap until the man helps him.

They’ll both have horrible colds to deal with, he supposes. But they’ll live.

**Author's Note:**

> You can like and reblog this story on [tumblr!](http://anabundanceofstilinskis.tumblr.com/post/149290699532/ok-ok-i-was-looking-through-all-my-posts-tagged)


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